1963 vintage Airfix E.E Lightning F.1A 1/72

[frank2056]

Here's the story behind the picture

[Rick Lowe]

Here's the story behind the picture

Cool, thanks for sharing. Interesting reading, and a very flukey shot - all the little things that had to come together at exactly the right moment.

[PR19_Kit]

Excellent stuff, I've never read that entire story befo0re, makes fascinating reading. 

[Pellson]

No real progress as such, as expected given my normal, significantly slower than glacial building pace. However, in the meantime, a significant amount of aerodynamical studies of the prototype F.2B and a completed F.6A has finally led to a decision to add not only light missile rails for AIM-9's under the wing tips, but also an RWR on the fin, much as per the RW Jaguar GR1.



Heresy? Maybe. But it fits nicely with my later and more intensive Cold War threat scenario. 

[PR19_Kit]

Heresy? Hell no, all the best Lightnings have RWR fairings, especially the PR variants 

[Pellson]

Remember this project? I do, but that's mainly because I'm more or less constantly playi.. errm.. performing aerodynamic studies on it while enduring Teams meetings from my home office. It's been a good while since I last posted anything about it, though.
No actual work done on it for weeks, however, one of the reasons being uncertainty around armament/loadout. However, this might just have changed!

One won't get far without friends, as I'm sure most of you would agree. One of mine, known to you all as our dear Narses, made it possible for me to lay my hands on some references in book form, and look what I found on p.77

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This basically confirms that a radar guided, "Firestreak-shaped" Blue Jay version was on the table at one point, allowing me to whif it somewhat with just a tad more speed/range, and with that suddenly having an early Lightning with credible armament. As mentioned earlier in this thread, I'm mainly looking at a pair of these on the nose and a pair of later Sidewinders on very light pylons under the outer wings.

Now, I just need to find some time to sand those missile tips and build Sidewinder pylons. 

[The Wooksta!]

The radar one evolved into Blue Dolphin.  Freightdog do those in resin, although they may not be current.

[Pellson]

The radar one evolved into Blue Dolphin.  Freightdog do those in resin, although they may not be current.

AFAIK, the Blue Dolphin used another airframe (looking like the Red Top), not compatible with the small finned Lightnings, so I'll stay with this layout.

[Pellson]

Having spent quite a few hours in meetings over the last months fondl.. HANDLING the Lightning, I'm realising I will have to do something radical about the stabilators. They're just too long and too swept in original kit form, protruding too far behind the jet nozzles. Annoying.

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Then again, I will be happier once it's done, and to be honest, I was still going to cut up the fin in order to insert an RWR, so maybe I should just shut up and get on with it..? On the other hand - it' an old, very much imperfect kit, so I could most likely correct away for eternity without nearing a more modern kit. Then again, the simplicity and the imperfections triggering reconstruction and modification is also what's so rewarding when building.
Well - now I've taken the stabilators off, so I guess it's just to file away..

Another thing I'm considering is the missile armament. I've reasoned a bit about this earlier in this thread, and I am looking to use a semiactive radarhoming (SARH) Firestreak version, derived from the Blue Jay as per above. Looking however at photos of Firestreak missiles, there is some inconsistency around their paint scheme. Earlier photos often show white missiles, while shots taken from the late seventies increasingly seem to show dark green missiles. Are these live vs blind munitions, or were they just repainted while in service? This might not be a big thing as I'm obviously whiffing the missiles anyway, but you know how it is - the closer to reality you get while whiffing, the more plausible your build will be and the more fun it is. Methinks. So any informed input would be much appreciated.

Right. Having severed the stabilators, why not continue cutting the fin while I'm having the knife out? 

[zenrat]

When I was five years old my Dad built me this kit.  He painted the missiles White with Red "warheads".  I have no reason to doubt him.  Not over this anyway...

[Pellson]

When I was five years old my Dad built me this kit.  He painted the missiles White with Red "warheads".  I have no reason to doubt him.  Not over this anyway...

Not really wanting to question your dad, I think the red "warhead" actually was a seeker protective cap used during ground handling. Once fitted to the aircraft, the cap was taken offf, revealing the transparent prism over the seeker head

[PR19_Kit]

I'm realising I will have to do something radical about the stabilators. They're just too long and too swept in original kit form, protruding too far behind the jet nozzles. Annoying.

Do what Airfix did with the original F6 box art, leave them off entirely! 

One day I'm going to build one just like that. 

[zenrat]

When I was five years old my Dad built me this kit.  He painted the missiles White with Red "warheads".  I have no reason to doubt him.  Not over this anyway...

Not really wanting to question your dad, I think the red "warhead" actually was a seeker protective cap used during ground handling. Once fitted to the aircraft, the cap was taken offf, revealing the transparent prism over the seeker head

Question away.  He would welcome it.
At the time he built it he had not long left GEC where IIRC had spent a while working in Sweden on nuclear power plants.
He's a Mechanical Engineer and before he went into teaching his fields were Fluid Dynamics and Design.

[Pellson]

I'm realising I will have to do something radical about the stabilators. They're just too long and too swept in original kit form, protruding too far behind the jet nozzles. Annoying.

Do what Airfix did with the original F6 box art, leave them off entirely! 

One day I'm going to build one just like that. 

..with extended wings, thereby negating the need for any stabilasers, as the wings will protrude behind the tail.. 

When I was five years old my Dad built me this kit.  He painted the missiles White with Red "warheads".  I have no reason to doubt him.  Not over this anyway...

Not really wanting to question your dad, I think the red "warhead" actually was a seeker protective cap used during ground handling. Once fitted to the aircraft, the cap was taken offf, revealing the transparent prism over the seeker head

Question away.  He would welcome it.
At the time he built it he had not long left GEC where IIRC had spent a while working in Sweden on nuclear power plants.
He's a Mechanical Engineer and before he went into teaching his fields were Fluid Dynamics and Design.

The best kind of dad! 

But I can't say I blame him for mixing this up. There's red caps, black solid (?) noses (seen behind the red one above), white solid noses and then, as the original question was revolving around, white and green missile airframes, the latter shown below.  Not in any way hard to go wrong around.

[Pellson]

Something modelling related done today, at least.

Having sorted the stabilators and added RWR to the fin and a pair of missile rails for the Sidewinders, I actually think we're closing in on the paint shop. Maybe.
I'll mull on at least overnight to see if it feels right, and if so, then I might get on with some painting later this week.

Current status, however

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Not perfect, but better than it was, and by far. 

Still not decided on the missile colour, though. It seems more usual with green Firestreaks the later they're photographed, but that said, museum missiles seem to be all but universally white.